Skillet Chicken with Apricots & Capers

I am a big sucker for anything that cooks entirely in one pot and if it’s delicious, filling and leaves leftovers then I am a big fan! Last year I shared myone pot chicken and brown riceand I thought now I’d share a little more exotic version of that! Crisp skinned chicken and filling israeli couscous are kicked up a notch with the salty bite from capers and a sweet note from the apricots. This recipe takes little ingredients and just one pan so making it and cleaning it up are a breeze!

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and heat a high-sided oven-safe skillet over medium high heat with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Cut two large skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 lb total) in half and season both sides with salt and pepper. If you want to do three or four chicken breasts you can, we just butchered our own chicken and didn’t need that much!

2. Place your chicken, skin side down, in your heated oil in the skillet and get a nice sear cooking for about 5 minutes on that side.

3. Flip the chicken over to brown the other side, cooking for about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to plate.

4. Add 1 small chopped yellow onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.

6. Add 2 1/2 cups chicken stock and bring to a simmer while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in the skillet, skin side up and cook uncovered in the oven until the couscous is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro and serve!

Skillet Chicken with Apricots & Capers

Serves 4

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2lb total skin-on chicken breasts, cut in half

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups israeli couscous

1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced

1/4 cup salt-packed capers, drained & rinsed

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and heat a high-sided oven-safe skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil in it.Season both sides of the chicken with with salt and pepper.Place your chicken, skin side down, in your heated oil in the skillet and get a nice sear cooking for about 5 minutes on that side.Flip the chicken over to brown the other side, cooking for about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to plate. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the couscous, apricots and capers and stir until the couscous is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in the skillet, skin side up and cook uncovered in the oven until the couscous is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve!

6 thoughts on “Skillet Chicken with Apricots & Capers”

I made this dish this week and it is an absolute winner! I usually change things up with recipes but decided with this dish I would follow the recipe exactly. I am glad I did as it was delicious. We ate leftovers the next day and enjoyed them almost as much as the first night. I look forward to making this again!

Danielle, I am such a fan of this dish that when my husband and I went gluten free, I wanted to find a way to keep making the recipe. I tried substituting quinoa for the couscous and we both liked the dish as much with the grain as we do with pasta. I had to adjust the chicken broth but other than that I kept the recipe the same. Again, the leftovers were wonderful. Thought you would want to know about this since so many individuals have issues with gluten. I really enjoy reading your blog. Thanks!